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Toys 'R' Us in the news

“I was having dinner in the Union Rooms and saw them,” she said. “This was the second time they did it.”

The incident was captured just a month after two devil-may-care youngsters were filmed riding scooters on the same section of roof.

The boys were spotted by Plymouth Live journalists while covering another story in the city centre.

Masked young people messing about on the roof of Toys R Us (Image: Aimie Stockman)

Business editor William Telford and photographer Penny Cross saw the two scooter boys risk their lives by climbing over a barrier high up on the Western Approach car park, at about 4pm, and then scoot out to the edge of the roof above the empty toy store.

They spent some seconds admiring the view before scooting back again.

Penny and William reacted quickly enough to take some pictures and video of the two youngsters’ foolhardy escapade.

Brave or stupid? These two take their chances on the Toys R Us roof (Image: Penny Cross)

Now, after the latest incident a Plymouth City Council spokesperson said: “We are aware of a recent issue involving a group of young people in Western Approach car park and are working with a range of partners including the police to address this.”

The Toys R Us building has been empty for nearly a year since the firm ceased trading in early 2018.

It's anticipated after its demolition, flats will largely go up in place of the once booming business, where Toys R Us traded from the late 1980s until the firm went under.

Plymouth councillor Mark Lowry revealed the authority - which bought the long-term lease on the site in a £30.5million national grab of the company's stores - would look to transform the massive plot on Western Approach into a new community.

Gone but not forgotten: stores shutting in 2018

Plymouth has lost some high-profile stores in 2018.

Here is a summery:

Closed

Toys R Us - The advertising jingle sang of toys in their millions, all under one roof, but the huge outlet in Western Approach is now empty as the toy store chain became the first big casualty of the UK's retail meltdown. The Plymouth branch closed in March 2018 and its lease has now been bought by the city council.

Maplin - Electrical goods retailer Maplin collapsed into administration in February 2018 and finally shut its large Plymouth outlet in June. The company, which employed 2,500 people in the UK said the capital needed to prop up the business – and shield it against tough trading conditions – had proved “impossible to raise”. The store had a huge closing down sale in April 2018 and finally shut in Plymouth two months later. All stores in the group shut by July.

McColl's - Two large McColl’s convenience stores closed in Plymouth just a year after they were bought from the Co-op. The chain shut the large and prominent Mutley Plain outlet, in a century-old building, and the one nearby in Alexandra Road, in May and April 2018 repectively. It is understood some stafflost their jobs though some may have been transferred to other outlets. The future of the buildings is now unknown with troubled McColl’s, which has just seen pre-tax profits halved, keeping shtum on what will become of them.

Blue Wing Gallery - The jewellery chain, which has five outlets in Cornwall and another in Totnes, shut its Plymouth outlet in New George Street, close to Drake Circus Shopping Centre, in spring 2018 without warning. The company has been contacted by PlymouthLive and asked about its decision but has yet to reply.

Poundworld - The budget retailer went into administration in June 2018 after revealing dismal sales figures, putting 5,100 jobs at risk. Private equity-owned Poundworld shut its huge Plymouth store in New George Street in July 2018 after staging a "closing down sale".

Saltrock Surfwear - The Plymouth and Exeter branches of the fashion chain were among five that closed, with 29 staff losing their jobs, after the firm went into administration and was instantly taken over by the national Crew Clothing Co Group. Saltrock was started in the 1980s but taken over by Plymouth Argyle's departing chairman James Brent's company in 2012.

Mothercare - The baby and maternity products chain issued a profits warning after like-for-like sales fell by 7.2 per cent during the 12 weeks to December 30, 2017. Mothercare has now decided to move out of Drake Circus mall, but will relocate to a unit more than double the size at the under-construction Plymouth Gateway Retail Park at Marsh Mills. The retailer is looking to shut anything up to more than 50 stores and its March 2018 trading update revealed total UK sales were down 5.6 per cent in the 12 weeks to March 24, compared with the same period in 2017.

Early Learning Centre - Plymouth’s Early Learning Centre store is to close under parent company Mothercare’s £113.5million proposal to save the mother company. The company put the lease for the 2,542sq ft Early Learning Centre store in Cornwall Street on the market.

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